Tel Tsaf

Tel Tsaf (Hebrew: תל צף) is an archaeological site located in the central Jordan Valley, south-east of Beit She'an.

5300/5200–4700/4500 BC) a little-known period in the archaeology of the Levant,[1] post-dating the Pottery Neolithic B phase of the Wadi Rabah Culture and pre-dating the Ghassulian of the Late Chalcolithic.

Archaeologists unearthed a 7,200-year-old pottery model of what looks like a silo, possibly the oldest example of a ritual propitiating the gods to preserve the crops or harvest.

This form better withstands the pressure exerted by the contents, which is distributed evenly onto the sides of the silo and does not create excessive stress at the base or the corners as is the case with a rectilinear shape.

The stability of silo shape over considerable periods of time and large geographical regions provide an outstanding case in human architecture.

[5] It was part of the grave goods accompanying the burial of a woman wearing a belt decorated with 1,668 ostrich eggshell beads.

[5] This is the most elaborate burial of its period in the entire Levant, the presence of the awl being an indication of the high prestige enjoyed by metal objects in that time and region.